Once a Bat
by Andre Dmitri Garrett
Summary: The Batfamily was dead. Gotham was in ruins. Jason wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do about it, but he had an idea. It involved someone's head on a stake.


Disclaimer: It exists.

A/N: I'll still be finishing Smashers Go To Washington, but I felt the urge to write something more serious. Scary, I know.

Once a Bat...

Chapter 1

The Bats were dead.

Jason Todd was sitting at home—in a condemned building far from Gotham—when he first heard the reports on TV. Batman and the others who had followed him in his war against crime were supposedly dead. Jason had stared at the TV for a couple minutes before changing the channel and picking up his phone. He didn't like most of the brats, but he doubted that they would be killed.

Leaning back in his couch and grabbing a beer, Jason called Tim. When it switched to voice mail, Jason clicked it shut and turned the TV off. He walked off and tried not to think about it. Tim was probably undercover somewhere. The kid was always busy.

Seven hours later, Jason turned the TV back on. The first thing that came to him was that Gotham had been nearly wiped out by a poisonous cloud. Estimates was suggesting that roughly eighty percent of the city had been killed; not even weeds were being left to survive.

Jason's phone rang and he glanced at the ID. It was Roy. The former Robin mulled for a few minutes before answering it. "Hey," he grunted.

"Hey Jason," Roy answered. "You seen the news?"

"Yeah," Jason muttered. The official casualty count was still rising in front of him.

"...Did you hear anything from your brothers?"

There was a uncomfortable, pregnant pause as Jason took in what Roy said. Then he answered.

"They're fine," Jason muttered, and hung up on him. Roy didn't call back, and that was fine with Jason. Jason turned the TV back off. He didn't know what was going on in Gotham, but he doubted Bruce would be happy with it. Someone was getting every bone in their body broken and then some.

Jason sat down. Then he stood up and paced, feeling anxious. He tried to force himself to relax and instead found himself tying his boots. Frustrated, Jason chucked his remote at the TV. It shattered the screen.

His phone rang again; it was Koriand'r. She was probably looking for an explanation. Jason didn't answer.

For the next hour, Jason's phone was constantly going off or receiving text messages. They were from all sorts of people, mostly superheroes. Several people from the Justice League had tried calling and left voice mails. A few of his brothers' friends—how they got Jason's number was beyond him—had tried as well. The texts were those who knew Jason better—Donna, Kory, and even Green Lantern. He read them briefly but didn't send anything back.

Finally as his phone rang for the hundredth time, Jason let a string of curses out and nearly chucked his phone at the TV as well. He stopped when he noticed the name on the caller ID: Gordon. Jason had never given Commissioner Gordon his number, which made Jason wonder why he was calling. Suspicious Jason opened the phone.

"Yeah?" he asked, trying to keep the heat out of his voice.

"Jason Todd-Wayne?"

It was the Commissioner all right. Jason furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Yeah."

"Thank god," Gordon sighed. "It's been hell already out here without people picking up." The man sounded worn down, exhausted, as though realizing the impossibility of a chore.

"So why are you calling me then? Go deal with hell," Jason spat. To his credit, Gordon didn't seem to rise to Jason's insult. He continued in the same manner as he had been.

"You were the only number we could reach on the next of kin list," Gordon explained.

Jason's phone nearly slipped through his fingers. He glanced over at the broken TV, as though it was still playing the news reel from earlier.

"Hello?" Gordon's voice called.

Jason tore his eyes from the screen and looked away. "Next of kin for who?" he asked.

"Stephanie Brown."

Once a Bat...

Getting to Gotham in a hurry wasn't easy when the city was in uproar and responders were flocking to try to salvage what they could of her. Losing his temper at traffic and letting curses stream, he got Kory to give him a quick lift. She didn't say anything as they flew, and that was good enough for Jason.

The emergency medical station Gordon had mentioned was on the city's west edge, the furthest from where the poisonous cloud had spawned. This part of the city was still standing and its citizens had been least affected, making them the best choice to help with the survivors pouring in. There weren't many.

Koriand'r put Jason down and flew off without a word. Her mind was somewhere else. Jason didn't bother to stop her but began making his way through the crowd, elbowing people if they tried to cut him off. His brain was racing; why had he been a next of kin call for the new girl? He had barely met her, let alone given her his number. Who had? Tim? Bruce?

What little doctors and nurses there were ran wildly around, trying to treat the wounded and the dying poisoned. The National Guard was just arriving on scene, but Jason doubted that they would be able to quell the panic anytime soon. He trudged forward, finally spotting his destination surrounded by cops. Gordon met Jason with a beaten look, but Jason pushed past him and another officer to the makeshift cot.

Spoiler lay in the cot.

Stephanie Brown was alive, but that depended on one's definition of living. She was unconscious, barely breathing, with machines hooked up to her doing just about everything that modern medicine could. It hit Jason hard. Dick had mentioned that Stephanie was a lot like him: determined, eager to prove, and unable to back down. Jason could only wonder which one of those traits had turned her into this.

"She's in a coma, as best as we can tell," Gordon mentioned behind Jason. Jason knelt down to take a closer look as Gordon continued. "Some of my men pulled her out of a collapsed building; there was evidence she'd been inside when it collapsed. Several other victims—armed—were also inside and dead. I waited as long as I could, but I had to call someone. A card inside her uniform had your number and name on it."

Jason said nothing, but reached gingerly for Spoiler's mask. He pulled it up far enough to reveal her nose and mouth; she was still. It was as close to dead as Jason had seen another member of the Bat's disciples. It reminded him of his own death.

Eager to forget death of anyone at the moment, Jason stood up. "She has a mother," he muttered.

"We haven't been able to reach her," Gordon explained. Jason snorted in derision. Obviously.

"Where's the Bat?" Jason asked. He didn't get an answer.

Abruptly Jason snapped. The Red Hood stormed off, shoving people aside as he found the edge of the emergency camp. He pulled out his phone and looked at it, giving himself an excuse to think as he looked through the contacts.

Fact: Gotham was on the verge of death. The official casualty count alone was enough to determine that.

Fact: Batman and none of his allies were to be heard or seen. Stephanie was in a coma and she didn't look like she'd pull through.

Fact: Jason was the only number reachable to hear about Stephanie's state.

Fact: None of the Justice League had heard from Batman. He would usually give some statement—even if it was only to stay away.

Fact: Nobody had claimed the widespread death and chaos. That would be coming soon.

Jason scowled at nothing in particular as he continued to thumb aimlessly through contacts. He paused when the select reached one name in particular.

Alfred Pennyworth.

Jason hit the call button before he knew he was doing it and lifted the phone to his ear. If anyone knew what was going on, Alfred did. That he hadn't called Jason yet meant something.

The line went through and Jason waited for Alfred to answer coolly, putting any fear at ease.

Instead, a shrill laughter pierced Jason's ears.

"Mr. Butler is unavailable at the moment," the Joker greeted. "But if you wait you can have him... or whatever's left of him! Hee hee hee hee hee hee!"

Cold, unrestrained fury filled Jason. "Where?" he demanded quietly.

"Where Mr. Butler always is; the wonderful Bat Cave!" Joker shouted. He quickly fell into another hideous laugh before Jason was able to shut the phone off. He was still a second, the laughter haunting his ears. Then he snapped his phone in half and stalked back towards where Stephanie lay.

He knelt down briefly and put his hand on her forehead. "Take it easy, kid," he whispered. Jason stood up and made to leave. Gordon tried to intercept him and ask something, but Jason only bumped his shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. Gordon sighed and put his hands in his pockets, only to realize something was wrong. He pulled back his jacket flap and saw his holster was suddenly empty.

Already a good distance away, Jason loaded the pistol and stuck it in the back of his pants. He could only hope that Alfred was safe, rescued by Bruce or something else before the Joker could do anything. Because if the Joker did something to Alfred...

So help him, someone was going to die.


End file.
